


Leaves of Grey

by gracieluu



Series: Out of the Ashes: A Trilogy [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Blend of book and movie, Canon Typical Violence, F/M, Fellowship Focus, Gen, Grey Havens, Slow Build, Tenth Walker, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 15:18:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1987758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracieluu/pseuds/gracieluu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Something was not quite right. Rather, something was not quite right with Alunim and she couldn't place what it was. Perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her, twisting up inside her to the point she thought she might fall off her horse. Perhaps she was feeling fear, the sort that came from nowhere and had no explanation. Or perhaps, and she considered this to be the most likely source, she was feeling suddenly very out of place in what she considered to be her home.</p><p>The Grey Havens were a place that did not change. It was ironic, really, considering they were next to the ocean that was always changing and growing and moving. New buildings, and homes more importantly, had not been added for an age, nor had any of the old ones been drastically altered beyond the usual repairs. No child had been born in over two-thousand years. Alunim could not remember the last time someone moved there for any reason other than sailing.</p><p>The endurance and sameness was a charm of the Grey Havens that Alunim liked to do without. It was the reason she left in the first place."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The screams were the last thing he heard before he woke from his sleep. He started, hand wrapping around his sword before he realized he had dreamed of suffering once again.

Boromir son of Denethor was accustomed to such dreams, although the discomfort he felt was as poignant as ever. He sat up, laying his sword over his legs as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow before the guards his father had insisted he travel with noticed. He did not care to see their faces of concern.

There had been whispers, farcical tales of the return of Isildur's Bane. They had been nothing but tales to the common folk, but to Boromir they were doom. He looked around at the trees and stood up, knowing that sleep was lost to him. He did not sheath his sword, choosing instead to hold it tightly to his side, eyes scanning the forest in a paranoid manner that he normally didn't consider himself to be prone to. He did not know these woods, these elvish trees that were a mystery to him, and they made him painfully uncomfortable.

The outlines of his two guardsmen, two of his father's choosing, blended in with the trees, blurring due to the haziness of the night. Boromir felt as if they had been in the forest for an age. He could have sworn he had seen these trees before, smelled the acrid sweetness of the air for a bit too long. He was half convinced it was these woods that had caused his dreams. He had been seeing the eastern sky darkening every night, turning to blackness before ash rained down from the sky. The screaming started at the same point, just after the White City feel into ruin. He did not know the outcome. He always woke up shortly after.

There was a rustling in the underbrush behind Boromir that drew him out of his reverie. He turned around, sword brandished in front of him, and waited. He could feel his body sinking into his familiar battle stance. It brought him comfort, out here in the wilds that he didn't know, and instantly relaxed him. There was peace for him in battle, control that he couldn't find anywhere else. His muscles knew what to do instinctively, his hands knew just the right grip, his legs the proper stance. Everything was as it should be except for his eyes. He couldn't see a damn thing in all the fog.

He cursed under his breath.

The attention of his two guards was drawn over to him in that moment, although he wished it wouldn't have been.

He bore no ill will towards the two men. They were doing as they were told after all, just as he was. They never left him alone, however. The taller of the two, Birn, was a silly man. He liked to laugh when nothing funny had been said and found humor in everything from elvish tales to stories of old spinsters. Boromir liked to keep his distance from Birn. The other man, Selet, was short and stocky and carried no humor with him. He was at odds with Birn most of the time, but kept mostly to himself when he wasn't needed, a trait that Boromir greatly admired as he wasn't needed very often, if at all. Both of them had their own weapons drawn and were already on high alert.

Boromir looked at the trees once again, although there was no more noise, and lowered his sword.

Boromir rolled his eyes. It was nothing more than a rabbit, probably. He instantly straightened up out of his stance and turned to the two men behind him, annoyance written all over his face.

"Gather the horses."

He would do well with a bed to sleep on and food that didn't taste of gristle and burned hair, he decided. The road from Minas Tirith to Rivendell had been a long one. Birn had thought his chatting would make the road shorter, but all it had done was give Boromir head pains and a short temper. The guards did as he ordered them and set to work breaking down the meager camp they had set up not a few hours before. It was the third night in a row that Boromir had forgone his own sleeping in place of faster travel.

He wondered if the elves had something to ease his dreams, or get rid of them entirely. He quickly rid himself of that thought. He would not trust some concoction from a bottle no matter what respite it promised.

"Milord?"

Boromir looked at Birn, masking his own grim expression.

"We ride through the night. Whatever luck we have will hopefully carry us to Rivendell by morning."

Birn and Selet followed his orders and vaulted up onto their horses just before Boromir did as well. The fog that covered the ground reached his horse's knobby knees and threatened to go higher. He did not wish to linger in this area of the world any longer than he had to. He kicked his horse sharply and trotted into the forest, Birn and Selet falling into line behind him as they always did.

The fog dissipated only slightly as the night wore on. They crossed into the borders of Rivendell an hour past and the scenery had changed very little since. Boromir thought he caught a glimpse of a few elves in the trees, staring down at him with their owlish eyes, but he disregarded them. It was only a matter of coincidence that he was even the elven city at all. He half wondered if he would be having his dreams if it wasn't elves that had possession of Isildur's Bane or if they were simply a sign of the ever increasing darkness that plagued his city and his thoughts.

They were close. They passed by a few small huts, made out of wood and grass and stone, alongside the river Bruinen. A few elves peaked out of their homes to look at them as they approached. They were all brown haired and fair skinned. Not a pock mark to be seen or a blemish to be heard of. They were clean and Boromir instantly dismissed them. To be clean was a sign of safety and peace, of which his people had very little left. Gondor was constantly at war and he feared they would not be able to hold out against Mordor for much longer. That was why he was here, as a matter of fact, and he refused to allow his own bad dreams and uneasiness deter him.

They paused at a small brook just past dawn to allow their horses to rest and Birn, who had far too much to drink, a little time to relieve himself behind a tree. Boromir stood near the edge of the small clearing and watched the tree line. It was silly of him to be so on edge. They had long since passed into the borders of Rivendell and the protection of the elves.

"Milord, someone approaches."

Birn quickly readjusted himself and dropped his tunic and jerkin down to their normal position once again. There was horse hooves coming, moving at a moderately fast pace. Boromir could tell, based simply on the sounds of the hooves, that it was a light rider that knew how to handle a horse better than most. An elf most likely. Perhaps the Lord of Rivendell had received word of their arrival and had sent someone to receive them. The hooves slowed down not far from them and eventually petered off until they were nothing more than a soft stomp. Boromir gripped the pommel of his sword and waited for the rider to show themselves. Selet, who was guarding the horses, mirrored his stance.

When the rider appeared in the clearing Boromir instantly relaxed, taking his hand off his sword.

It was an elf, and a small one at that.

She smiled when she saw them and slowed her horse down so that it was directly in front of them. Her expression faltered when she saw the looks of suspicion on Boromir and Selet's faces, although she still inclined her head respectfully.

"Greetings." She said in a smooth voice that didn't match her face. It was deeper than Boromir was expecting.

Boromir inclined his head as niceties mandated, keeping his eyes on her face. She was abnormal looking. She had long blonde hair that seemed out of place here, amongst all the brown he had seen. Her face was small and disproportionate, with her large green eyes and small nose. She stared at them for a moment longer before she climbed off her grey garron and landed with a soft thud in front of him. She was short and thin, barely reaching Boromir's shoulders. She was thoroughly unimpressive.

"Greetings." Boromir said after a moment.

"Where are you traveling?"

His guard was back up again, although he wasn't sure it ever went down. Not in this part of the world, at least. "We are making our way to Rivendell, Milady." Selet spoke for Boromir. "This is Lord Boromir, son to the Steward Denethor, and High Warden of the White Tower."

Her nose scrunched at the list of his titles. "You're very important."

"Yes, and I have important business in Rivendell."

He was done speaking with her.

"Aren't you going to ask me my name?" Boromir did not have time for this silly she-elf. He could feel his annoyance growing and did nothing to keep it hidden on his face. She noticed, although it did not seem to affect her in the slightest. She chose to turn to his two companions, smiling at each of them in turn. "I am Alunim of the Grey Havens."

"Selet of Gondor."

"Birn of Gondor."

"You are a long way from home." Boromir scoffed at her observation. A toddling child would be able to tell him he was a long way from home. "How long have you been traveling?"

"Fo…"

"Long enough." Boromir knew his voice was gruff when he cut off his companion. The she-elf noticed as well, although she had the good sense not to say anything to him. "We wish for a soft bed and warm food."

"I won't keep you, then." She smiled once more and turned to her horse. She touched the packs that were strapped to the side saddle, checking the straps once, before she leapt up onto her horse in a graceful way that Boromir associated with all elves. She made herself comfortable in her saddle, pulling the reins into her small hands. She was dressed for traveling, Boromir noticed for the first time, in clothes of green and brown and blue; the colors of Rivendell. "Imladris is not far. You should reach it within a few hours or so."

Selet simply nodded, while Birn smiled brightly. Boromir could tell the foolish man was taken with the she-elf. He rolled his shoulders and made his way over to his own horse, careful to keep his front to her the entire time, and mirrored her in the way she sat on her horse. He felt much better being at a height advantage once again. Even though he thought she was small and a very small threat, he disliked how she had towered above him on her horse.

Boromir turned his horse in the direction she was pointing, hesitant to believe her. It was his natural instinct. He inclined his head to her once again and moved his horse forward, already pushing the encounter to the back of his mind. The words and images of his dreams invaded his vision once again when he thought of Rivendell and what lay waiting for them. He did not look back at the she-elf as she rode away, fully convinced that he would never see her again. She was of little importance anyway, when compared to the reason why he was in this part of the world. Isildur's Bane. It had been found. Boromir was loath to think of what it could mean. His dreams coming true, perhaps, or worse.


	2. The Grey Havens

Something was not quite right. Rather, something was not quite right with Alunim and she couldn't place what it was. Perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her, twisting up inside her to the point she thought she might fall off her horse. Perhaps she was feeling fear, the sort that came from nowhere and had no explanation. Or perhaps, and she considered this to be the most likely source, she was feeling suddenly very out of place in what she considered to be her home.

The Grey Havens were a place that did not change. It was ironic, really, considering they were next to the ocean that was always changing and growing and moving. New buildings, and homes more importantly, had not been added for an age, nor had any of the old ones been drastically altered beyond the usual repairs. No child had been born in a thousand years. Alunim could not remember the last time someone moved there for any reason other than sailing.

The endurance and sameness was a charm of the Grey Havens that Alunim liked to do without. It was the reason she left in the first place.

It made her more uncomfortable than she would have thought possible to be back home. She had left shortly after she turned one-thousand, thoughts of seeing the beauty of Imladris mixed with her desire to get away for a bit. The last time she had been here, her mother and father had sailed to the Undying Lands. The last time she had been here, her family was reduced to just her, her uncle Cirdan, and her older brother Rumil. It depressed her, so she left before it got the best of her, before the sadness and emptiness took all she had left.

She couldn't help but regret that decision.

She pulled her horse to a trot under the arch, patting its sweating neck softly, muttering quietly to it in elvish. Mud caked its legs and breast muscles, some of it having splattered on her riding boots. It had started raining three days after she left Imladris and hadn't stopped since. A week and a half or pure rain and mud had left her feeling miserable and exhausted. She thought of the bed she had left behind over one hundred years ago and pulled her horse to a stop.

She vaulted herself off, landing on the moist cobblestones without a sound. She felt very odd being back after such a time away. She felt wrong, out of sorts, foreign almost, as she looked around at the buildings she had grown up in, playing on. The banners were still just as faded as they were when she left. She caught herself staring at the one that depicted the moon over the ocean. The one for the first festival of fall. She had missed a hundred of those festivals. The thought should make her sad but all she could think of was how much more fun and lively those festivals were in Imladris.

She pulled her horse closer to her side and started walking towards the center of the city. It was eerily quiet and deserted in the entrance, making her wonder just how much of her city had left since she had last been there. Alunim did not like thinking so poorly of her city. Part of her loved it and an equal part of her hated it. She shook her head, gripping the leather reins tightly. They were slick with rain water and left behind dirt that felt very out of place surrounded by the cleanliness of the Grey Havens.

The air was salty and humid, making her skin feel softer than it had in a hundred years. Everything smelled the same and looked the same, but there was something different.

There was hardly anybody left, that's what was different.

"My Lady!" Alunim looked up at the elf hurrying towards her. He was an assistant shipwright, the second in line to her Uncle Cirdan. "Lord Cirdan is waiting for you down by the docks."

She assumed he would be, considering he hardly spent any time away from them. Cirdan was a focused man who produced the finest ships in all of Middle Earth. They were sturdy yet beautiful and hadn't yet failed to deliver anyone to the Undying Lands. She considered them to be very similar to her uncle, as he was just as reliable and strong.

"Your horse." The elf extended his hands to take the reins from her. She wondered how long they had been waiting for her to turn up. She hadn't sent word that she was coming home, but there she was, feeling awkward and out of place. She was back, however, and she thought she should stop dwelling on the differences between the Grey Havens and Imladris. There was plenty to love here, and she needed to remember that. She needed to remember why she had decided to come back.

She needed to remember that she was, technically, home.

When she had left, she thought she would never come back. She hated it then, all of it. She hated that her mother and father left her with her uncle and brother and she hated that she couldn't do anything. She had been training for a healer in Imladris for fifty years when she realized it was wrong of her to run away. They needed a good healer and she could give them that. Even if she knew she would be dealing with Sea Calling, she knew that she was needed. She was a sea elf and she was needed back home. She tried not to be upset. This was her home.

Alunim shook her head and returned her attention to the elf. She nodded in thanks and started walking towards the docks. They were a ten minute walk, if she was quick, and took her through the most populous part of town. There were a few elves, here and there, but it was so empty it made a sick feeling settle in her stomach. She sped up, making it to the docks faster than she normally would have. There were three elves there when she arrived; her uncle and two of his assistants. They were all looking away from her, looking at the ocean. She cleared her throat, plastering a fake smile on her face. She supposed she should appear happy to be home. Her uncle turned first, holding out his arms to her. He seemed surprised to her see her, but he greeted her in the same warm manner he always had.

Alunim took the few steps to him and buried her face in his chest. He smelled like salt. He had always smelled like salt. She buried her nose in his chest and breathed deeply, feeling a joy she didn't expect at seeing him again.

"Uncle." Alunim squeezed him tighter.

"You have been gone too long." Cirdan pushed her back while keeping his hold on her shoulders, eyes scanning over her. She noticed his eyes lingering on the green and blue clothing she was wearing, the colors of Imladris. She couldn't remember the last time she had worn the purples and silvers that represented the Grey Havens. "The years have changed you."

"Not you, Uncle." Alunim said, glancing up at his sun lightened hair and tanned skin. He was the same as always.

"I did not expect you back. Not after the way we left things."

She blushed, remembering the fight she had had with both Cirdan. She looked away from him, feeling shame bubble up as she remembered what she said to him, and turned her attention towards the two elves that were flanking Cirdan. She was home. There was no point in reliving what had been said. She tried to put a smile on her face as she looked at the two elves. The tallest was holding carving tools while the other's hands were covered in white paint. Alunim knew they had been working on one of the boats. The thought made her feel odd, for some reason. She had been gone for years and nothing has changed. She imagined she could be gone for another thousand and it wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Have you come home?"

"Yes." She supposed she had. She disliked that the idea made her feel sad deep down in her chest. "I finished my training, so I thought it was about time I came home."

Cirdan looked around him for a moment before he waved his hand at the two elves, sending them away. "I need to show you something."

Alunim did not like his tone, but she followed him regardless. They walked in silence towards Cirdan's workshop, Alunim's anxiety and panic building with each passing moment. She turned her attention away from the back of Cirdan's blond head and towards his workshop. It was wooden and salt-worn, the paint peeling in places and completely gone in others. The double doors were thrown open, showing the numerous workbenches and unfinished boat pieces that were strewn about inside. She expected him to lead her inside and was surprised when he continued down the stone path that snaked around the back.

"What's going…"

Alunim stopped talking when she saw the bodies. There were ten of them, all covered in blood and rotting. Their hands were paw like and covered in bits of metal that were more rust than anything. Their hair was matted and lanky, as if it had never been washed in the entirety of their miserable lives. Her first instinct was to think they were goblins but she knew that was wrong. They were orcs, but unlike any she had ever seen. They were huge, large as men and covered in thickly corded muscle. She recoiled at the smell of them, burying her nose in the shoulder of traveling cloak. It was so overwhelmingly strong, it was a wonder she hadn't noticed it from the moment she arrived back.

"They were raiding the eastern border some days past." Cirdan said quietly. "There were more, but we didn't have the numbers to stop them from getting away."

"How did they slip past the Rangers?" Alunim bent down, doing her best not to inhale.

"We don't know. They came in the middle of the night, no warning."

Her eyes scanned their bodies, confused as ever. They certainly smelled like orcs, if not worse. It was not their size that set her on edge, however, as much their shape. Orcs were nasty little things that climbed in and out of places like bugs, oozing from every orifice, and causing general mayhem. As she looked at the creatures in front of her, two very particular things stood out to her; the white paint and their overall apparent lethality.

"Where did they come from?" She asked, pushing one of them the very tip of her pointer finger. The skin felt slightly rotten under her finger. She noticed it had blood in its teeth. The sick feeling in her stomach worsened considerably.

"Alunim, I know little more than nothing." Cirdan was a fierce man who had been a fierce warrior, although those times were long past him. He was frightened and that frightened her. There was an edge to his voice, a hesitation, that made this all seem worse. He didn't know how they had gotten into their home and that did not bode well for them. She suddenly thought of her brother suddenly, her black haired brother who was a member of the City Guard. He should be here.

"Where is Rumil?"

"Alunim…"

"What?" Alunim stepped away from the bodies, the smell making her light-headed. "Where is he?"

"He has not been seen since the attack."

"How can you not know? He is your nephew, he can't just disappear. What happened?"

Alunim could feel her chest constricting, making it hard for her to breathe. When she had made her decision to come home after completing her training to be a healer, she had thought she would be returning to a small community that was slowly dying out. She would serve those who left until it she was free to do what she wished, go where she wanted. She had imagined Cirdan would make the boats, Rumil would guard the city, and she would make their time in the Grey Havens easier. That was how it should have been; it would have been if she hadn't left. An unnatural amount of shame washed over her when she realized that she left them, truly and completely.

Cirdan lowered his head, looking away from the bodies. "The orcs, or what we are assuming are orcs, attacked in the middle of the night. We had no warning, and less time to prepare. All the guards we have left were drawn to the gates, leaving very little protection left in the city."

"So Rumil went to the eastern border? You lost track of him there?"

"He stayed in the city." That was odd. Alunim felt her face scrunch up in confusion, making it almost impossible for her to avoid smelling the dead orcs. She moved back from them, turning away to avoid looking at them and smelling them for any longer than necessary. "I went to secure the border and when I returned he was gone along with three boats and the designs we use to make them."

Alunim focused on the cobblestone ground, doing her best to process what her uncle had just said. It made no sense. She balled her hands into fists, staring at the ground with such intensity it made her head hurt. There was moss growing in between the cracks, giving it an eerie quality. When she was an elleth, she had liked to collect moss and make little pies out of it and give them to her brother to see if he would eat them without knowing. The thought seemed ludicrous at that moment.

She turned to look at her uncle, feeling tears pricking her eyes. "Cirdan, what are saying?"

"Alunim, we've looked everywhere for Rumil. I sent word to the rangers to, to the dwarves in Ered Luin. There hasn't been any sign of him."

"Were there any others lost?"

"Your nursemaid, Mithuiel." Cirdan sounded truly sorry, even though he had never understood the need for Alunim to have a nursemaid. Her mother, Cirlyn, had insisted and Alunim was all the better for it. Mithuiel was perhaps her favorite person and had been her closest friend in the Grey Havens before she had left. The news of her loss made her feel like a knife was wedged in between her ribs and twisted violently. "She was with Rumil, so I have been told. Some of the guard and a few citizens were lost as well. Thirty in total."

Thirty. That was almost a fourth of the population. The bile that rose up in her throat burned and she had to force it down to keep from vomiting.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I do not like to think about the possibility, but we must face what is in front of us; three boats are missing and Mithuiel is dead." She didn't understand. "We did not find a body."

Alunim mulled those words over in her mind. No body. Her uncle had said that some of them escaped the City Guard. Rumil had to be with them, a captive for some reason. "Have you sent out riders to find him?"

"We don't have enough to devote to it."

"I'm ashamed of you Uncle." Alunim turned to look at him sharply, completely shocked to hear him saying such things. He was close to Rumil, closer to him than anyone else, in fact. They were very similar, the two of them, both determined, strong, and focused. Rumil was several thousand years older than her and that had kept them at a distance to each other. That had never been the case with Cirdan. "I will go, if you cannot be bothered enough to find him, I will."

"I'm not saying I don't want to find him. You know I do. This situation is trickier than you think, Alunim, and I will not send you into danger. We don't know what happened. We don't know where those boats went or what happened to our plans. We can't be too hasty or they could be lost to us forever."

"Rumil could already be lost."

"Alunim, please, listen to reason."

Alunim felt tears spilling out. She wiped them away roughly, looking away from Cirdan so he wouldn't see. "How long has he been gone?"

"Six days."

Alunim's attention was drawn back to the bodies instantly. Six days. They had been laying there for six days, waiting for her to see. Cirdan probably thought it would make her understand more, but all it did was make her indescribably angry. She pushed down the urge to hit something, choosing instead to walk away so she wouldn't do something she would regret. She loped up the stone path, away from the bodies, and back towards the workshop. She knew Cirdan would follow her.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my horse."

"You just got home. You need to rest, eat something."

"No." Alunim started walking again. "I can't. He has been gone for six days and the only thing you can do is stand there and tell me to relax for a bit." Alunim did nothing to try and lower her volume. "There were rumors of orcs traveling close to the Bruinen. I will start there and see if I can find anything."

"You can't mean to track them down on your own?"

"I mean to track them down, whether I am alone or not." Alunim slipped past the workshop, ignoring her uncle following behind her quickly. "Elladan and Elrohir will go with me. We can start from Imladris and fan out, tracking them until we find something."

"And if you don't?"

"Then I will keep looking."

"Alunim…"

"What did you do with Mithuiel?" Alunim's chest clenched up again, but she pushed it aside.

"We buried her at sea."

"She would have liked that. I am very happy to have gotten to see you, Uncle." She cut him off before he could say anything else. She did not like his pessimistic attitude and was determined not to let it affect what she thought of her brother. He was missing, taken most likely, along with the plans for their boats, and she wasn't about to let them get away from her. "I will try to keep you informed."

"Alunim please listen to me. My sight, it has darkened. I cannot see what lays before you. I couldn't see this before it happened." Cirdan called after her. Against her better judgment she stopped. "It isn't safe."

"Obviously, it isn't safe here either." She hated the bite she had in her voice, but she couldn't help it. She felt angry, angrier than she had in a long time, and her uncle just happened to be the only person she could level it at. When she looked at his face she felt a small amount of guilt creeping up. "The longer we wait, the farther away he gets. I promise I will be safe." She had no way of guaranteeing that, but she didn't allow him the chance to say as such before she was hurrying towards where they had tied her horse up, mind already thinking of all the places Rumil could be, all the places she would have to look.


	3. A Quick Turn Around

The East Road was still. Alunim, for all that she tried to keep her horse quiet, felt that she was still making too much noise. The sounds of hooves reverberated and bounced off the trunks of the trees, making her wince. She should have known better than to come this way, but it had seemed logical at the time. In her anger and frustration the only thing she had thought about when leaving the Grey Havens was finding the fastest route back to Imladris.

She gripped her sole hunting knife in the hand not holding onto the reins, eyes darting back and forth across the tree line. The rain of the last week had left the ground and the vegetation moist and soppy. The branches and leaves looked heavier than usual and the sodden grass made it hard for her horse to traverse the land. The Downs after Tower Hill had been particularly difficult, at one point she had had to walk her horse through the mud and grass, and the East Road was not much better. It had become wild over the years, she noticed, and not fit for any sort of speedy travel. She had chosen the wrong way, she realized, and she was now too far down it to turn back.

The world around her was quiet in the way that made her spine feel like bugs were crawling up and down it. She knew that part of it was natural. The East Road was dangerous, at the best of times, and this was her first time traveling it alone. However, she knew that a greater part, the more influential part of her, was nervous because she was scared.

The realization had settled over her not long after she had left the Grey Havens. She was afraid and she didn't know to properly respond to it. The only time she remembered being this afraid was the first time she witnessed elves leaving for the Undying Lands. She didn't understand it at the time and she had thought they were dying, withering away until they were nothing before drowning on the great ocean before her. She had cried in her room for three days, refusing to leave, until someone, Mithuiel she remembered suddenly, came to comfort her.

Since then there had been no reason to be afraid. Not until now.

Her horse plodded through the rain soaked ground, keeping up a steady rhythm that would bring her to Imladris by the end of the week. From there, she didn't know where she was going. Elladan and Elrohir would help her, she was certain, and they would know what to do. They had spent the better part of their lives hunting down orcs and killing them, so she trusted their expertise in the matter. That wasn't what she was afraid of. She was scared of what she would find when, if, she found her brother.

Her grief for her brother, mixed with her grief for the others lost and her city, made her feel stuck. Like she wanted nothing more than to curl in a ball and cry. She knew she shouldn't have left in the first place, that perhaps it was somehow connected to what had happened, but she couldn't imagine herself ever wanting to go back now. Not until she found Rumil.

They had never shared a warm sibling relationship. His favorite thing to do was ignore her, or say mean things, or when he was feeling particularly nasty, pushing her in the water. She still loved him, however, and despite all of their quarrels, she had missed him the most while she had been gone. There was something about his dark humor and his bluntness that she appreciated, even if it was mostly negatively directed at her. She clutched the hunting knife in her hand, remembering suddenly that it had been his gift to her when she left for Imladris. She had not used them once since she had been given them. She would use them now, she realized ironically.

* * *

" _You're leaving?"_

_Alunim stepped in front of her pile of clothes, face heating up with an embarrassed blush. Nobody was supposed to know, not yet. She dropped her favorite leather jerkin onto her bed and looked at her brother to see if he was angry. His lips were drawn into a thin line and his eyes were narrowed, but otherwise he showed no signs of displeasure. "I was waiting to tell you and Uncle for…" She paused feeling horrible for thinking that she could keep this from her family. "I was waiting for the right time, although I suppose there is none."_

" _No, probably not." His large frame moved forward to stand next to her. He reached around and pushed her clothes out of the way and took a seat on her bed, eyeing her carefully. "Where are you planning on going?"_

" _I haven't given it much thought." She sat down next to him, feeling very much like a child again. Rumil had always been so much larger than her, towering over her constantly. He laughed at her, placing his hands behind his back._

" _You never think things through. All these years and you're still as rash as a child."_

_She blushed again, looking away from him. "I thought maybe Imladris."_

" _And what would you do there?" Rumil's tone was the one she hated, the one that was almost mocking, almost cruel, yet still laced with concern. He had mastered the tone over the years, making it impossible for Alunim to distinguish between when he was being genuinely nice and when he was being mean. "Lord Elrond has two sons. Perhaps you will marry one of them."_

_Alunim fiddled with the stitching on her dress. That was a very trivial reason to uproot her entire life. She did not want her life and her meaning to be based on who she married and what he did. She wanted to accomplish something for herself. That was impossible in the Grey Havens. She was the niece of the great Cirdan the Shipwright. For a while she thought that was all she ever would be. She did not wish to travel to a new place only to be once again identified by those she was related to._

" _I wish to become a healer."_

_Rumil laughed again. "You've always had such funny ideas."_

_That made her angry. It wasn't funny. "Rumil, I want to be a healer."_

" _For what reason?"_

" _I do not have to tell you." She said, hating how she reverted back to immaturity around him. "The Grey Havens is my home, but I have not felt comfortable here for a very long time. I want to leave before I start to hate them." She would hate them. She knew she would. She never felt the desire to sail and that put her at a distance to all the other elves who did._

" _Will you be coming back?"_

" _Yes." She did not have to think. Of course she would be coming back. It was just the matter of when that she didn't quite have the answer for.  
_

" _Well, then, I suppose I shouldn't try and stop you." In a motion that was very unlike him, he reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "You are a pain, but I will miss you sister."_

_She wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezing him for a moment. He was nasty, and mean, and found her misfortune to be entertaining a vast majority of the time, but they loved each other. He was her biggest supporter, most of the time, and she gladly returned the favor. They held each other for a brief moment longer before they both pulled away, sensing that the tender moment had reached its expiration point. They both sat back in their prospective spots, a bit of awkwardness washing over them in the wake of the rare show of physical affection._

" _I brought you something." Rumil said, ending the uncomfortable silence that filled Alunim's room._

" _A gift? You knew I was leaving?"_

" _Do not act so surprised. I assume you will be gone by your next day of birth."_

" _I plan to leave within a fortnight."_

" _So soon? Sweet sister, surely you are not so tired of me that you would leave with such haste." He smiled at her sneakily and stood up. "Truthfully, I assumed you were hiding something from me. I have known for a while and thus saw to it that you would be properly equipped. Do not look so suspicious."_

" _The last time you gave me a gift I was covered in hives for a week."_

" _How was I to know that those flowers were covered in mites?"_

" _Simply looking at them would have told you." She said, skin itching at the mere memory of the flowers._

" _Close your eyes."_

_She did as she was told, although she kept one cracked. She watched as he moved towards her door and peaked out, speaking quickly to someone in the hallway that she couldn't see. There was the sound of rustling and a bit of conversation before Rumil came back in. She quickly shut her eyes and tried her best to look like she wasn't nervous. Apparently it wasn't working, considering how Rumil snorted. He laid something on the bed, spreading it out, causing whatever it was the clank together. It sounded metallic, which instantly made her more apprehensive. "You can stop looking so scared."_

" _Can I open my eyes?"_

" _Yes."_

_She opened them hesitantly, not sure what she was going to find. She was pleasantly surprised to see a set of matching swords and knives. There were three swords, all of varying lengths and widths, accompanied by a set of matching long knives and a small set of throwing knives. There was one hunting knife and a knife that was used to gut fish. They were all unique, with blue hilts and lettering along all of the blades. She reached out her hand to touch the cool metal, a smile forming. She had never had a set of weapons that were her own, she had never had a need for them. She didn't imagine a situation that would arise while she was gone that would require the use of weapons, but the fact that her brother thought to have them made for her made her chest clench up. It was so out of the norm for him. She smiled widely and turned to look at Rumil._

" _Do not think too much of it."_

" _They are wonderful Rumil."_

" _You are representing the Grey Havens, you would not do well to look like a vagabond." Rumil seemed uncomfortable. He avoided looking at her._

" _I have always known you cared for my safety."_

" _Only because of the love of our mother and father."_

" _I love you, brother."_

" _This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid." Alunim ignored him and launched herself into his arms, forcing him to hug her in return. He was uncomfortably rigid for a moment before he allowed his arms to circle around her. "Perhaps you will be less annoying when you return."_

" _Perhaps you will be less uptight."_

* * *

Her horse tripped over a root, jostling her back into the present. It had started misting again, making her hair stick to the side of her face in messy strands. This was miserable work, trudging through the mud. She pushed those thoughts back and spurred her horse forward. She ducked underneath a dark, twisting branch, and kept her gaze forward. Darkness had come quickly, making the rain cold and uncomfortable. Rumil liked the dark. He always said people showed themselves in darkness, showed who they were when they were afraid.

She wondered who she was when she was afraid.

She thought of the man she had meet while leaving Imladris, for some reason. Boromir, his guards had called him. He had exuded bravery, mixed with a large amount of haughtiness and self-importance. Alunim thought of the way he carried himself, the way he stood up straight and regarded her with a suspicion she didn't think she deserved. He had not feared her, yet he had still kept his hand on his weapon throughout the entirety of their short conversation. She imagined he knew what to do when he was afraid.

She gripped her knife and turned her horse so that it was walking on a straighter path. She did not think of Boromir again.

She couldn't deny she was upset with her uncle. He was gifted with foresight and yet he could not see what was coming. He had described a blackness over his eyes, like a blindfold, that had engulfed him while on his way home from Himring. The darkness was troubling to her, and another thing on her list of things that she meant to find out about. Perhaps Lord Elrond had experienced the same thing, the same darkness, or perhaps it had been directed at Cirdan only. Either way, it was disturbing.

An owl hooted above her, startling her in an embarrassing way. She felt ridiculous and foolish, but she couldn't help the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of her stomach. Her brother was lost to her, to everyone, and she had no idea how to get him back. And the worst of it all, the most biting and crippling, was the fear that gripped her tightly and refused to let go, paralyzing her, making her weak. She did not know how to function when she was afraid, but she had the sinking feeling that she was going to figure it out sooner rather than later.

* * *

Alunim had not slept for the entirety of her journey back to Imladris. She sagged on the back of her horse by the time she rode through the gates once again. Her stomach ached and her muscles screamed from being in the same position for so long, barely able to support her on her horse, let alone deliver her to the ground. She tipped over the side, falling to the stone in a heap. Her weapons pressed into her skin uncomfortably, one of her knives even cutting her. She could hardly move enough to reposition herself. The horse nudged her with its sweat covered nose. She swatted it away, allowing herself to lay in the same spot for a moment before she sat up.

She needed to speak with Lord Elrond and eat something, perhaps sleep a bit, before she set out the next morning, as was her plan.

"Alunim?" Alunim looked up, forced to wipe away a bit of mud from her face to see more clearly who was talking to her. It was Elladan and he did not seem overly surprised to see her. He bent down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, helping her into a standing position. Her muscles clenched up, but she forced herself to remain standing. She wiped more of the mud from her face and focused on his concerned expression. "Lord Cirdan sent Galdor. He said that we should expect to see you soon enough."

Alunim blinked. Galdor was her uncle's messenger and close friend. She wondered what road he had taken to get here faster than her, but quickly realized that it was unimportant. "Where is he?"

"Sleeping, like most during this hour. Do you know how late it is?" Elladan had a bit of humor to his voice, like always, but Alunim could see he was exhausted.

"I have ridden without stopping. I had no control over what time I arrived."

"Your poor horse." Elladan patted the horse softly. "Let us take him to the stable."

"I need to speak with your father." Alunim said, side stepping the arm Elladan had around her. She wobbled a bit, but steadied herself without his interference. "Galdor will have surely told him what has happened, but there is more I need to discuss with him."

"Peace, Alunim." Elladan was looking at her strangely, cautiously, as if he was worried he would upset her with his words. "You will speak to him once you have eaten and rested. You are pale as death."

"I do not have time." Alunim yanked her arm out of his, stepping back from him. Her view spun for a moment, making her dizzy. Each moment she wasted was a moment that Rumil for farther and farther from her. Elladan couldn't possibly be thinking of this, so she tried not express anger. "Is he in his study?"

"Alunim, you must rest." Elladan jogged to keep up with as she walked away from him.

Imladris was deserted, with only a few guards out. She noticed that they were in full armor and armed to the teeth. She stared at one as she passed, making eye contact. He eyed her suspiciously before he inclined his head. Odd. Elladan wrapped a hand around her arm when he caught up to her, trying to slow her down. "My father is occupied, Alunim. He will see you in the morning."

"Who is he meeting?" Alunim asked.

"I can't tell you."

"What?" Alunim stopped walking.

The sudden change in momentum made her feel nauseous, a feeling that she pushed back instantly. When Elladan didn't answer her she looked around, noticing that there were even more guards the closer they got to the inner city. There was an odd feeling in the city that hadn't been there when she left. She had sensed something was going on, changing, just before she had left when the Halfling arrived, wounded. She had tried to help, but had been quickly ushered out by Lord Elrond without much explanation. She had been miffed, she remembered, and left shortly after to return to the Grey Havens. Her encounter with Boromir hadn't even registered with her as odd, but now that she thought about it, it was. Gondorians did not normally travel this far without reason, even if she didn't have the foggiest what Boromir's would be. She looked around, eyes sweeping the city, before he gaze settled on Elladan once again.

"What's going on?"

Elladan seemed conflicted. She stared at him, waiting for him to answer, swaying slightly. He was saved from answering when she suddenly stumbled, falling into a pillar next to her. "When is the last time you ate?" She thought for a moment. When she could not tell him, Elladan rolled his eyes. "Come. Food and then rest."

"But, Rumil…" She trailed off, colors flashing across her vision.

"Alunim you're feverish." His hand touched her forehead carefully.

She didn't believe him. She didn't feel feverish, not with the cool moisture on her clothes and the way her sweat cooled her as it dried. She dismissed his hand and tried to push him away, only to sway once again. She barely had time to open her mouth to tell him that she felt well, when she sank to the ground, knees hitting with a painful crack. She slumped forward before Elladan could stop her, pack sliding off her shoulders when she landed in a heap. She felt him sweep her up into his arms briefly before the colors in her vision gave way to blackness and she slumped backwards, eyes fluttering shut.


	4. Elladan and Elrohir

The air in the room was stifling and thick, saccharine-sweet in the way that made her nose sting and mouth run dry. Alunim knew she had been asleep for hours, but felt none of the relaxation that usually came with it. The room was familiar, although it didn't stop the involuntary panic that rose up in her chest. Her heart beat erratically, pounding against her ribcage like a drum, as she remembered where she was and her fear dissipated. Imladris.

She was in Imladris and her brother was still missing.

The pain was just as sharp as when she first heard, although it came with the added joy of tightness in her body and breathlessness that made her lightheaded. She sat back in the soft bed, clutching the sheets to her body, feeling both cold and hot at the same time. She was clean, she noticed, and not starving, although she should be after not eating for a few days. Mostly, she just felt an unnatural amount of misery settle over her that she hadn't felt since her parents left the Grey Havens.

Alunim threw off the sheets, preparing herself to get out of bed, when the door opened and revealed a tall brunette elf. She sat back immediately, feeling scolded without him needing to say anything, and smoothed out the sheets. She was trying to appear like she wasn't panicking. She was failing. Lord Elrond entered the room quietly followed by an elderly man that Alunim immediately recognized as Gandalf the Grey, despite never having met the wizard herself. He shut the door behind him with a snap, seeming very tired, which mirrored her own feelings, and walked further into the room.

Lord Elrond sat down in the wooden arm chair next to her bed, while Gandalf took the seat on the bench underneath the singular window. They were staring at her and Alunim had to fight to maintain eye contact.

"How are you feeling, Alunim?" Lord Elrond asked quietly. He was looking at her as if he already knew the answer, the perceptiveness of his gaze making her feel like he could see right through her.

She wasn't sure what she should say; if she should mention her fear and uncertainty at the disappearance of her brother, or her almost painful sadness at the loss of Mithuiel and the others who died in the attack. She decided she could say how her body felt safely. She could be truthful about that, at the very least.

"I'm sore from riding so long, but otherwise I'm well."

"You fell unconscious shortly after your unscheduled return." Lord Elrond smiled slightly at her, a knowing look on his face. He knew she was lying to him, or rather, being unintentionally mum about why she was back so soon after she left in the first place. She could tell he considered prying, pushing her to tell him, but decided he would wait until she chose to volunteer the information on her own.

She should tell him, but she didn't, not yet. "I only stopped long enough to allow my horse rest."

His lips twitched, revealing his desire to purse them in disappointment. "Galdor has been asking when you would wake."

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked, suddenly irrationally self-conscious of being passed out for an inconvenient amount of time.

"A little over a day."

"So long?" Her voice tried to waiver, but she fought it and steeled her expression.

Lord Elrond nodded slowly, folding his hands across his lap. "Galdor said you left the Grey Havens over a week ago. Elladan and Elrohir were just about to go looking for you when you turned up, covered in sweat and mud."

Galdor would have told him what happened. It was probably the reason he was here, actually. She felt a sudden wave of appreciation at the prospect of not having to recount everything to Lord Elrond. Truthfully, her knowledge was limited. "Galdor told you what happened?"

"He did." Gandalf spoke for the first time. "Alunim, I don't think we've met. I am Gandalf the Grey. I'm a friend of you uncle, Cirdan. We met briefly, when you were too small to remember." He smiled in a very kindly way that made the skin around his eyes crinkle. Her uncle was very fond of Gandalf and she could see why, if his pleasant nature was anything to go on. Of course, he could just be curbing his interaction with her. Perhaps she looked as terrified and confused as she felt. She stared at him for a moment, thinking of what she should say, what would be appropriate in the situation.

"Riders were sent out to look for Rumil." Lord Elrond said.

It was what she would have done, if she had been in his position. The knowledge didn't make her feel better. She wanted to help, needed to help. She lifted herself up by her arms, feeling her muscles complain about the weight she put on them. Lord Elrond immediately moved forward to stop her, placing a light hand on her shoulder. He pushed her gently back onto the bed, fixing her with a stern, although not unkind look, when she tried to protest. "I'm going as well."

"You need to rest." Lord Elrond kept his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from trying to get up again. The pressure of it, while not strong, felt heavy and encompassing, trapping her in her spot completely. "You've barely had time to recover."

That was his way of saying no.

"I have nothing I need to recover from." Alunim said slowly, bitingly. She tried to keep her tone respectfully even, but failed spectacularly. Lord Elrond knew that it was better not to say anything, to save that conversation for later. He sat down next to her, folding his hands together in his lap. "I'm not hurt."

The look on his face could only be described as placating sympathy. She found it intolerable at the moment, even though normally she welcomed such a thing from the older elf. "You should not assume anything, Alunim." He spoke slowly, evenly, like he was thinking about every word before he said it.

"I am not assuming anything. I know something is wrong. I can feel it."

"Galdor told me you were troubled by what happened, and you are right in those feelings, but now is not the time for rash actions."

"Something is wrong. Cirdan didn't see the attack coming and now Rumil is gone." Alunim spoke with so much conviction she almost surprised herself. She clenched her fists, balling them up in the sheets until her knuckles turned white. "You've never believed in coincidences and neither have I."

"We are not ignoring it, Alunim."

"But you aren't doing anything about it?" She snapped, inwardly cringing at how disrespectful her tone came across as.

"Where would you propose to look for him? We know nothing and charging ahead without any sort of plan or information is the fastest way to losing more. We've sent word to the neighboring lands to look for him. We can't do anything else until we know more." Lord Elrond was so calm when he reprimanded her. She wondered how he managed it, but then again he was so much older than her, perhaps he had plenty of time to practice. His sons were Elladan and Elrohir, after all. "This isn't up for discussion." Lord Elrond said, silencing her before she could say something else. "Please get some rest." She nodded, although she did not think he believed she would listen. He eyed her warily, one eyebrow raised as if he expected her to jump out of the bed at any moment and run away.

"I'm certain I'm correct in assuming that we will speak later, Alunim." Gandalf said, standing up. He leaned heavily on his staff. He looked like he wanted to say more, but ultimately thought better of it. That annoyed her. "Rest. I find that it's often the best thing to gather your thoughts and think about what you might do next."

They both looked at her for a moment longer before they left her alone.

Alunim didn't rest after they left, although she didn't think either Lord Elrond or Gandalf expected her to. She waited for them to leave before she threw off her covers and pried herself out of bed, wincing at the pain in her muscles. She should not be so sore. It was shameful, considering she hadn't even done something to earn it.

She leaned backwards, cracking her back and flexing her arms for a moment before she froze.

She felt off, somehow, uncomfortable. She thought Lord Elrond and Gandalf should be more alarmed by what happened. Rumil and his disappearance was personal, she understood that, but an attack on the Grey Havens was different. It was the uncertainty of it all that unnerved her, but she didn't think she could quantify it into words well enough that would convince Lord Elrond to allow her to leave and find out what happened.

She bent forward and rubbed her thighs, kneading the knots out roughly, looking around the room. Her pack was placed on the floor next to the bed and her boots leaned up against the far wall next to a small table that had a neatly folded pile of clothes. She walked over and grabbed them, slipping the soft dress over her head.

Alunim wasn't normally defiant, but she thought now was the time, if ever, to make an exception.

She toed on the soft cloth slippers, making up her mind.

She needed to find Elladan and Elrohir.

* * *

Imladris was quiet, not alarmingly so, and peaceful. A few elves were scattered about, doing their daily tasks without giving her much notice. One or two of them smiled at her when she sped past them, head down, lips drawn. She knew the twins would be together, wherever they were. She thought the archery ranger was the most logical place, considering the time of day and their penchant for it after what happened with their mother.

Alunim picked up her grey skirts and hurried down one of the paths that ran along one of the hundreds of small rivers. It wasn't a far walk, but it twisted through the most beautiful parts of Imladris and down along the side of one the larger waterfalls.

The noise was so loud it drowned out her thoughts, briefly and blissfully, until she turned left and found the tree covered route to the only flat area within walking distance of the city.

It wasn't long before she heard familiar sounds of metal against metal. A few shouts, laughter, conversation. It was all very comforting, in a way, and yet still disarming somehow. She stepped out from the path and walked down the sloping hill, scanning the area for a sign of their matching dark heads of hair.

"Alunim?" She whirled around, embarrassed that someone was able to sneak up on her without her hearing them coming. Aragorn raced up to her, smiling at her. It didn't reach his eyes, however, and he looked almost hesitant to approach her. She tensed, unable to force a smile onto her face despite her best efforts. "I heard you were back."

He stopped in front of her, whipping his hands on his trousers before he pulled her into a hug.

He definitely knew what happened. It was if she could feel the pity radiating off him.

"It's been too long." She said quietly, stepping back from him and tilting her head up to look at him. He changed considerably since she had last seen him. His hair was longer, and dirtier for that matter, but she had come to accept that about him, and peppered with a few stray grey hairs that made him look older. "I've missed you."

Alunim tried smiling again, but it worked even less than the first time.

"I didn't expect to see you." Aragorn was choosing his words carefully, picking them out one by one. "But then I spoke to Galdor." Everything went back to Galdor, it seemed. She should probably find him.

"Why are you here?" Alunim blurted out, taking special note to ignore the look on his face. "I am happy to see you, but last I heard you were," She paused, thinking about all the rumors she had heard about him and his whereabouts over the years. "Actually I'm not entirely sure where you've been."

"Everywhere." Aragorn said.

"And nowhere that you can tell me." She finished for him, earning a smile that seemed almost as forced as her own. Uncomfortableness settled over them, causing Alunim to look away. He was hiding something, she was hiding something, it was awkward. "Are you going to the training grounds?"

"No," He paused, trailing off suspiciously. "No, I was just looking for someone."

"Who?"

"No one important."

"I won't keep you, then." She tried to expertly maneuver her way out of the conversation without Aragorn seeing the look on her face. He, being as observant as other, noticed immediately.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened."

She looked down at her slippers and 'hmmd', thinking it was best if that was her only response. She rubbed her arm, feeling her muscles clench up from stress more so than anything else. She wanted to tell him what happened, tell him the truth of it all and what she planned to do, but she couldn't bring herself to in that moment. Not when she could see the pity in his eyes, the care he used when she spoke to her like she was made of glass and would shatter into a million pieces.

"Have you seen the twins?" It wasn't the smoothest evasion, considering, but it would have to do for now. Aragorn sighed and turned down the hill, pointing at the archery range nestled back against a river on one side and outcropping of trees on another. She followed the line of his arm and saw the twins, matching form as they shot arrow after arrow at the stationary targets. She looked back at Aragorn, body already turning down the hill. "Thank you."

"Alunim, wait." Aragorn stopped with a firm hand on her arm, squeezing it ever so slightly.

"We'll speak later." She tried to subtly move down the hill, but he kept her in her spot. He looked at her for a moment longer, really looking at her like he was trying to see what she wasn't telling him, before he shook his head and removed his hand.

"Of course."

"I'm really happy you're back." Alunim said as an afterthought when she realized she might have been unnecessarily, and uncharacteristically, short with him. They were close and he didn't deserve the attitude she was throwing at him.

Before he could say anything else she turned and walked down the hill, feet slipping on the dewy grass, causing her dress to tangle around her legs for a moment. She grunted, finally deciding to wrap her skirts around her knees to avoid any incidents that involved her landing flat on her back, and hurried the rest of the way down. She called to the twins when she was close and they both turned to look at her with identical smiles.

"Alunim!" Elladan set down his bow and unlatched his quiver from around his waist. Elrohir fired a few more arrows before copying his brother's actions.

"We thought Estel would keep you occupied for a bit longer." Elladan said, bending down to pick up a water skin. He took a long swig and passed it to his brother. "But you didn't seem too eager to speak with him."

"Noticed that?"

"Only the awkward parts. We ignored the rest of respect." Elrohir downed the rest of the water and threw the skin down next to his empty quiver.

"I didn't mean to be rude." Alunim said, feeling instantly bad for how her conversation with Aragorn had gone. "I'm just…"

"Preoccupied." They both said at the same time. They looked at each other and smirked.

"Thousands of years and you still find that amusing." Alunim hopped up on top of a saw off log, pulling her knees up into a crossed position.

"The world is dull."

"Although, it's become a bit more exciting lately." Elrohir mused, causing Alunim to glare at him.

"You think what happened in the Grey Havens is exciting?"

Elladan gave his brother a reprimanding look. "No, not at all."

"Sorry, Nim." Alunim got the impression that Elrohir was only apologizing because Elladan was there, but she said nothing and decided to ignore it like she usually did. "You know I didn't mean it."

"I wanted to speak with both of you."

"You don't need to say it." Elladan said, arm extending outward as if he was going to touch her before he seemed to think better of it.

"Yes, I do." Alunim got off the log, annoyed that they seemed to be dismissing her without hearing what she was going to say. "I want to go after him."

"After who?" Elrohir asked.

"You know who."

"I only ask because I assumed you wouldn't be foolish enough to try and find Rumil yourself." Elladan sighed audibly as soon as Elrohir said it. Alunim glowered at him. "I'm only speaking the truth. Don't look at me like that."

"What do you mean?"

"It's suicidal."

"It's Rumil." Alunim pointed out, not sure why she needed to explain her motivations to Elrohir. "He could still be alive. I'm not going to leave him."

"Galdor told us what happened."

"Galdor seems to be telling everyone what happened." Alunim said with an unnatural amount of bitterness in her voice. She liked Galdor, even if he had a tendency to treat her like an elfling, and thought that she might be being a little unfair. She rolled her shoulders back and looked down at her feet. "It doesn't matter what he said."

"It does." Elladan said, slowly, cautiously, like he was trying to placate a small child away from a tantrum. She bristled instantly, narrowing her eyes until they were nothing but slits. "You can't go racing off without knowing everything. It's too dangerous."

"Is that your opinion, or your father's?"

Elrohir scoffed. "You're nastiness is unwelcome."

"I thought you would understand." She said quietly, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. She was exploiting them and she wasn't proud of it, but she thought they might not notice, if she was clever about it. Or perhaps, they simply wouldn't care. "I need to find him."

"You two didn't even get along." Elrohir said icily.

" _Don't_ get along. Present tense. Why is everybody speaking about him like he is already gone?"

"We're not." Elladan said quickly, looking between them both with a weary look on his face. They had been through this before. Numerous times, in fact. The twins were her closest friends, but there had always been an underlying conflict between her and Elrohir that made them pick at each other constantly. She liked him for it, most of the time, but right now she wanted to throttle him. "We're just trying to understand your desire to find him. You and him have always been distant."

"Why does that matter?"

"It does."

"It doesn't." They spoke at the same time again, although this time they didn't smile at each other.

"Are you going to help me or not?" She asked, feeling her agitation and apprehension growing with each passing second.

They were both silent, looking at each other in the way they did when they were communicating without words. Elladan raised his eyebrows, lip quirking upwards while Elrohir's mouth turned downward. Elladan shook his head, causing Elrohir to sigh before he turned to look at Alunim.

"Of course we're going to help you." Elrohir said, sounding none too happy to be agreeing. "You'll get yourself killed if you go alone."

"You're serious?"

"Now is hardly the time for jokes." Elladan said, placing his hand on her shoulder to squeeze it. It was comforting for a moment, until she realized it was more pandering than anything. She thought she could deal with that, for the time being.

At least now she wouldn't be going alone.

 


End file.
